Lost Stars
by CrystalEssence
Summary: A life of crime is never easy. Yang Xiao Long has learned this through many years working under notorious criminal Cinder Fall. But sometimes she wishes that her boss could take a break. After a particularity stressful event that rocked the criminal underworld of Vale the pair find the time to do just that.


**** _All Characters that are presented in this fic are over the age of 18 (Yang: 20 Cinder: 24) Warning for explicit sexual content.(Honestly I don't think it is that explicit but I think it's best to warn at any rate. If you would like to skip it entirely skip the section labeled as Part 2. ****_

 _ **WARNING: Some mentions of violence and then some sexual content ahead.**_

 _Authors note: So, this was thing that happened. I'll be honest this was 1 part labor of love and 1 part tear my hair out frustrating as it sucked up all my attention and creative focus for the better part of 4 months._

 _This fic has an interesting history as I began it on my phone in the basement of a Catholic church in Boulder, Colorado sometime in April. I have always liked the mafia/gang oriented AUs that come from the RWBY fanfiction community and have always wanted to try my hand at it. Well, for better or worse here we are._

 _Okay, last bit and then we will get on with the story. In regards to this fic I have a couple people I would like to give a shout out too because this fic would not exist without them. First and foremost I want to give a huge thank you to Sakura-Fraust on Tumblr, as it was through following her on Tumblr that I was first introduced to this pairing and just had to write something for it. I also want to thank Agent-Cobra who is a very dear friend and the one who really pushed me to write this and to get this done. Finally thank you to my friends Neo, Fox, and Roman for reading all the versions of this fic and giving me the feedback I so desperately needed, love you guys 3_

 _Well, you've listened to me ramble long enough. I hope you enjoy this silly little fic. Please Follow/Favorite if you enjoyed and please please review!_

 _Love and Light,_

 _-Crystal_

 _Lost Stars_

 _"But are we all lost stars trying to light up the dark?" –from the song Lost Stars as performed by Keira Knightley._

 _Part 1_

There was something about a Friday night that could only be described as magical. A release from the responsibilities of the week, a time to let go and drown out the worries and burdens of one's life. The streets of downtown Vale came to life as it was transformed into a bustling hub of laughter and music, and in Yang Xiao Long's mind there was nothing quite like it.

Now if only she could actually take the time to enjoy it. _Fucking figures,_ she mused as she attempted to adjust the leg holster underneath her knee length yellow strapless dress for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes. Unfortunately the main binding strap continued to remain obstinately unfastened.

Yang had initially intended to enjoy the weekend for a change, in fact she had laid out an entire plan to hide away for the entire weekend with her partner. God only knew that Cinder needed the break as much as she did. The past few months had been stressful for everyone within the family since the day that James Ironwood had been elected as the new security administrator for the city of Vale.

Throughout his campaign Ironwood had vowed to begin a heavy crackdown on the city's criminal elements, specifically the gangs which gave birth to most of the cities corruption and violence. The man had been a hardcore conservative and a believer in a little thing called justice. Yang could remember how most of the other families, including Cinder's, had simply ignored the man. They had put up their own puffed up patsy to take the position and as they controlled the majority vote on the Security Council it was inconceivable that Ironwood would win. That was until their man had gone missing just before the election.

Ironwood had been elected before anyone could react and what followed became known among the criminals of the city as _The Purges._

Night raids by the Vale PD had increased, arrests had skyrocketed, and everyone had been scrambling. It had even been rumored among the civilian populace that 'hit squads' had been deployed into the streets to deal with the more stubborn criminal elements. Yang unfortunately had the misfortune of coming up against the infamous squads no less than three times over the course of the two years of the purges. Each time ending in a shootout that had nearly cost her and Cinder their lives.

Up until that point she had never seen Cinder phased in anyway when it came to the operation of her organization. Weeks had passed and the organization had been steadily herded into a corner from which there was seemingly no way out. The rank and file had begun to lose faith in Cinder as a leader and there had been open talk of descent for the first time since its inception.

Yang began to see cracks in the façade Cinder presented to the world. The woman became quicker to anger, was less careful about her facial expressions, and had even hung the brutalized corpse of some of the more vocal dissenters off the top of Schnee tower at some point. Her boss had always shown nothing but strength when she was faced with an adversary. If someone got in her way and they could not be negotiated with then they were eliminated with extreme prejudice.

Ironwood had somehow evaded such a fate despite the conjoined efforts of the three largest crime families in Vale. They had gone so far as to hire the infamous mercenaries and assassins the _Reaper_ and _Ripper._ Yang knew them better as her sister Ruby and her girlfriend/partner Neo and she had been stunned when even they came up with no solution initially.

Just when all hope seemed lost, they had finally got the bastard. It was with no small amount of pride that Yang had reported to Cinder just two weeks prior that Ironwood had been killed, thrown from the window of his tenth story office by Reaper. After months the reign of terror had been ended. Ripper had even placed some incriminating evidence in his office making him look just as dirty as the criminals he had been fighting against.

With their paragon of virtue gone, the city of Vale had been thrown into mourning. The raids all but stopped as the government scrambled to replace Ironwood. Cinder had seen to it that the potential candidates were of a lesser caliber than their predecessor. The same mistake would not be made twice.

For her part, Yang had finally been able to breathe a sigh of relief. She would have been lying if she claimed that she hadn't thought that their time had finally come. It was indescribable, the feeling that she had to have dodged yet another speeding bullet. It had been a bit of a wakeup call and had made her all too aware of the preciousness of her time with Cinder.

It was just after Ironwood's death when Yang had begun to make plans to whisk Cinder away for a few days, get her to relax and revel in their burrowed time being extended just a little longer. Unfortunately, just as she had begun to cement the plans, a request came in from one of the rival organization's leaders for a meeting.

"But why does it have to be this Friday?" She had asked Cinder, her tone high pitched and almost a whine. Cinder barely looked up from her computer as she read through her email and typed out her reply to this or that message, her fingernails making a staccato tip tap sound that reverberated through the empty office.

"This is the second time he's rescheduled the meet without telling us why." Yang pressed again, causing Cinder to pause in her typing in order to take a sip of the blood orange drink that Yang had prepared for her. She was silent for a moment, swirling the ice in the glace before speaking.

"I am not pleased with this turn of events either. However it is not unexpected, Sharzale has always liked to think himself clever and has often changed the date of arranged meetings on the fly in order to throw off his opponents. It is an old ploy and quite a tired one at that, He is hoping to catch me off balance." Cinder responded her voice clipped and even as ever but her eyes flashed with barely restrained anger and annoyance as she flicked them up to meet Yang's.

"He wants to get the most out of the vacuum left behind by Ironwoods purges. There is territory that is up for grabs and given that we are one of the largest organizations in the city it would be foolish to start moving his men in without consulting us first. I cannot blame him for the attempt as I would do much the same thing in his position however," Her eyes flashed with fire and her tone grew cold as ice, sending a involuntary shiver down Yang's spine. "I do not appreciate his arrogance in this matter and he will find that I am not so easily unbalanced."

"Why deal with him at all?" Yang asked, easing her hip on the corner of Cinder's desk. Cinder's eyes followed the movement and she raised a single immaculately sculpted eyebrow but otherwise ignored the action. "Ruby's still in the city, if needed we could just put a hit out."

"It would be…unwise to ignore such an invitation. If I were to just allow him to take the territory without comment I would be seen as weak, if I stepped in and sent my own men into those territories it could escalate into an all-out war." The flash in Cinder's eyes had suggested that she would have liked nothing else after the months of hiding from Ironwoods purge and Yang couldn't blame her. There really was nothing like a good brawl to get the blood going and the tension worked out. "And if I took him out then I would have to claim the territory for myself which unfortunately I do not have the manpower to do so at this time."

The ashen haired woman had grimaced and pushed away from her desk. Standing, she walked over to the window to gaze out on the twinkling lights of the city of Vale. Her office was situated in the uppermost level one of Vale's few skyscrapers and afforded her a spectacular view of the city around them. When she had spoken again her voice was soft, almost reflective in tone but there was no mistaking the steel in it as she ran her burning gaze over the sleeping city.

"If I had the forces at my disposal I would not hesitate to eliminate the pest for being so presumptuous….however, it would be foolish to do so with morale and man power being what it is. I simply can't risk provoking a war at present lest we risk revealing our weakness to our more powerful rivals. What we have now ensures that we can rebuild, but a gang war would prove too costly. However rest assured my _little dragon_ , I will deal with him when the time comes."

So that is how Yang ended up in her current position. While others got to go off and enjoy their Friday, she had to act as bodyguard for a meeting that would no doubt take hours to complete. At the very least the meeting was taking place in a place that was familiar to her. The island of Patch was considered by most of the ruling families as being neutral territory. It had been agreed upon that none of the main crime organizations would run operations on the island and any attempt to take it would be met with harsh retribution from all the other families. As a result of its neutrality any meetings of importance usually took place here.

"Fuck me." She spat in exasperation, finally giving up on the damned leg holster. She knew if things went south she wouldn't need the damned thing. She had Ember Celicia after all, and their bracelet form was far more inconspicuous than a damned .22 strapped to her thigh.

"What was that Yang?" Came the lilting voice of Cinder from the next room.

"Nothing Cinder, this damn holsters' just giving me issues again."

Cinder Fall walked out of the adjoining door and Yang felt her breath catch in her throat as the woman closed the distance between them, eyes raking over her form in a way that sent shivers down Yang's spine. Cinder was breathtaking in her floor length simple black dress which sparkled like a thousand tiny stars when the light caught it. It hugged every curve and rise of her body perfectly. Bracelets of gemstones encircled her wrists and ankles, containing enough dust to blow up a small house should the need arise. Her hair was down as it usually was, drawn down in satin waves over her shoulder to just above the rise her breast. She rarely wore earrings, save for a pair of small emerald studs Yang had given to her some years prior, which tonight twinkled brightly from their place on Cinder's ears.

"Yang, Where is the holster?" Cinder said in a low smoky voice that enveloped Yang, twisting and folding around her heart before squeezing tightly. Numbly the blonde pointed into the holster where it lay on the surface of their bed. The black of the holster standing in stark relief against the fiery red of the comforter. Cinder turned away from her and retrieved the weapon. Checking the magazine and safety she replaced the pistol and turned to Yang, gesturing to the small chest at the foot of the bed expectantly.

Yang sighed but complied with the wordless request. Hiking up her dress she lifted one foot up on to the chest to give Cinder better access. With a soft hum, Cinder slid the holster into place and proceeded to tighten the straps. Yang did her best not to tremble as Cinder's fingers trailed along her skin, gooseflesh beginning to rise slightly and it took all she had to suppress the sigh that threatened to spill from her lips.

She could see Cinder's lips twitch almost imperceptibly as the commanding woman finished tightening the final strap on the holster. Eyes the color or molten rock flicked up and locked with Yang's own lilac colored orbs and the blonde suddenly felt a blush begin to creep up her neck. Then instead of moving away, Cinder closed the distance between them, trailing her fingernails up along Yang's thigh as she did so, pinching lightly at her inner thigh and eliciting a choked gasp from the blonde as she leaned up to whisper smoothly into the shell of Yang's ear.

"You look absolutely _delectable_." Then without another word Cinder released her and walked calmly away. Stopping at the door she turned and speaking in a tone that was nothing but business said.

"Finish up, the driver will be here in 10 minutes." With that she was gone, leaving a very flustered and confused Yang Xiao Long.

 _Part 2_

 _Late that evening._

Yang Xiao Long barely had enough time to consider what she had gotten herself into before the dress had been pulled over her head and she was being pushed into the duvet. Rough, demanding lips on hers, there was no fight for dominance between the two. Instead Yang immediately submitted to the white hot touch of her lover, the adrenaline pulsing through her veins began to cloud the more rational parts of her mind. The weight of her lover straddling her was all that served to ground Yang as waves of arousal crashed against her.

Long red-lacquered fingernails began to dig into the soft flesh of her neck before moving down, leaving scores of angry red lines down Yang's neck and upper chest. Yang had to bite back a moan as her entire body involuntary arched at the contact. Adrenaline pumped into her veins as her blood roared in her ears to such an extent that she almost missed the words that sounded like a sinful whisper through the haze of pleasure and pain.

"Oh, does _my little dragon_ like that?" Yang's eyes shot up to meet those smoldering pits which bore into her own lilac colored orbs. They seemed to be daring her to lose herself in the unquenchable blaze that was Cinder Fall. She was more than willing. Part of her, a rather large part, wanted to cry out. To beg Cinder to forget the teasing and just fuck her already. However, to give in now would be too easy and she knew just how better it would be if she let herself be strung out by Cinder's talented touch.

It was all she could do to keep from visibly shaking as Cinder trailed a single fingertip up along the arteries in her throat, the pain making her want to scream in joyous exultation.

A low rumbling purr began to reverberate within Yang's chest, only for the sound to shift immediately into a high pitched whine as the woman in red ran the tip of that finely sharpened fingernail down the center of Yang's bare chest, her skin already slick with sweat partially due to Cinder's aura fused ministrations and partially due to Yang's own semblance flaring with each scratch.

Cinder's wandering finger came to a stop at the waistband of the blonde's black shorts. The only piece of clothing separating her from being completely bare to her. A shiver traveled up Yang's spine as her lover leaned over her, hot breath ghosted over the flesh of her neck. Cinder's scent enveloping her in the familiar embrace of finely aged whiskey and cinnamon.

Cinder sat up tilted her head, as if contemplating a unique problem and just how to go about its solution. At the same time she ran her hand over the fabric of Yang's shorts, down her thigh and then back up to ghost over her center. Yang's hips rose off the bed, making a feeble attempt to seek the friction she so desperately desired. She was soaked, she could feel it. She needed Cinder to tear the flimsy material away and now.

Flashes of memory and fantasy swirled within her mind and she found herself almost at the point of begging from Cinder's gaze alone. She wanted, no needed her to sink those gorgeous white teeth into the skin of her neck, her collarbone, her lips. But Cinder had other plans and as quickly as she had engulfed Yang in her presence she retreated, this caused Yang let loose a pitiful whine which drew a laugh from the raven haired woman.

"What was that? Do you have something to say?"

Cinder sat up and fixed the blonde with a look that spoke volumes in regards to the amount of amusement she was taking in Yang's current state. Hand's fisted in the covers, mouth slightly parted and panting, the poor bodyguard was a mess of sweat, heat, and arousal. Her eyes had fluttered half closed with lust, her chest rising and falling in shaky movements as the she tried to draw more breath into her body.

Cinder proceeded to lean over her, looking down at Yang with a feral smile, her bright eyes seemingly glowing in the semi-darkness that had been created by her long black hair cascading down around them both, shielding them from the light of the room around them. The glowing orbs raked along Yang's face with a type of adoration and hunger that made Yang want to cry out in desperation.

"Mine," came the low husky voice of Cinder Fall. The teasing gone from her voice she repeated the words again. "Mine." She whispered again locking eyes with Yang who felt an instinctive shiver travel down her spine at the hunger and more importantly, the emotion that she found in that gaze. The words had come out with just a hint of hesitation, almost imperceptible unless you were looking for it. It was a flicker of hesitation and uncertainty which turned the words from a statement into a question, a question to which Yang had a ready answer.

"Yours" the blonde gasped out, pressing herself off the bed with her elbows in order to bring her lips to Cinder's, pulling her back down with her. The kiss was just as intimate as their others but Yang's desire to show Cinder that she had no reason to feel uncertain about her devotion to her made it far more tender and meaningful. Cinder let out a small whimper, something she would deny vehemently later, and reached up to cup Yang's face in order to deepen the kiss.

For a time they remained like that. Trading tender kisses as if their very lives depended on it but it wasn't long until the hunger began to assert itself once more. Yang had felt it in the back of her mind, momentarily swept aside by the tenderness, but now it had begun to creep back to the forefront of her mind. The kisses became more forceful, hungrier and desperate as they clung to one another.

It was in moments like this that every doubt that what she had with Cinder was real fled her mind. When she looked into those eyes and saw more than the hunger, more than the lust for power. Beyond the surface, Yang could see the same devotion and love she felt for Cinder mirrored in the older woman's gaze. She was so entranced that she nearly didn't catch what Cinder said next.

"You deserve a reward my little dragon." Then with little flourish Yang felt Cinder's fingers dive under the waistband of her shorts, connecting with her heat and providing her with both instant relief and a feeling that was akin to all the adrenaline in her body being dumped into her veins at once.

The flame engulfed her almost immediately, turning her vision white. Heat, so much heat, at such an intensity that her entire body felt like it had been set alight. Every vein pumping an inferno through her blood. Scouring and burning her in a sweet agony that never failed to leave her wanting more. To be utterly consumed by the flames of perdition that licked at her skin.

 _Maybe_ , Yang thought as the aftershocks of her release shook her and the flames overtook her mind, body and soul and she began to drift in a wide warm expanse of white. _Maybe, hell wasn't such a bad place to be._

 _Part 3_

 _Much later…._

"Yang? Are you okay? Oh my love, I wasn't too rough was I?" Cinder's voice was soft and cooing as she held Yang's head in her lap, fingers drifting slowly through the thick blonde locks of the one whom she loved. Yang, still dazed and having trouble remembering exactly how her lips worked, shook her head slowly. A sigh of relief sounded from above the blonde before she felt the soft press of warm lips on her temple. The unbearable heat had gone, replaced by the cool air of the bedroom on her cheeks and the warmth of the fuzzy blanket that had been wrapped snugly around her.

"Wha…..What time is it?" Yang asked, keeping her eyes closed as she scooted up to snuggle closer to Cinder, basking in the warmth of her loves body against hers.

"Nearly half past 9, Asteri tis zois mou you should go back to sleep." Came the reply, soft and with a bit of accent that Yang recognized as Mistrali. It was rare for Cinder to let that part of her heritage slip through the careful walls she had erected around her heart, even rarer for her to use words from it though her voice lilted through them in a way that spoke of the intimate familiarity of a native speaker.

An orphan from a young age, the Mistrali foster system had not been kind to Cinder and the woman had worked incredibly hard to leave that past behind. She had come to Vale to make a name for herself separate from the life she had lived.

A woman in Cinder's position had to appear cold and somewhat cruel when the situation called for it. With rival factions and even those within her own organization vying for power, Cinder had little choice other than to be absolutely ruthless. The _widow maker_ was among the raven haired woman's many titles, and at times it was scarily accurate. She had cut a bloody swath across Vale since the moment that she stepped foot in the city. This need to be constantly on her guard when dealing with others amplified the feeling of warm satisfaction, joy, and absolute adoration that Yang felt when Cinder was able to let her guard down and for a brief time just be Cinder, an old before her time young woman and not the notorious crime boss who ran most of the city.

If Yang could have her way, she and Cinder would fly off to some remote island and put the underworld of Remnant behind them for once and for all. Unfortunately this was little more than a pipe dream, Cinder was an integral player in the machinations of the world and as loath as Yang was to admit it, she wasn't the only one who relied on Cinder, though perhaps no one relied on her as intimately as she.

If it hadn't been for Cinder Fall, Yang wouldn't have known what to do. With both Summer and Tai killed during a hunting mission when she was fifteen, Yang had been left with a young baby sister to take care of and no living relatives, save a drunken man whom was an uncle in name alone, on whom she could rely.

It had been at that time when she became involved with the criminal element of Vale. Desperate to make ends meet she had joined up with a local street gang as an enforcer. It was while delivering her own special brand of messaging to a reluctant client that she met Cinder. The nineteen year old woman had been impressed with the way the brawler had handled herself and had offered her a position in her fledging organization. The pay had been small at first but as they had assimilated the other smaller gangs around the city the organization had expanded rapidly. Throughout that time she had grown close to Cinder and eventually she had been given the coveted position of Cinder's personal guard and the rest was, as they say, history.

"Lost in memory again?" came a soft teasing voice from above her. Yang cracked open one of her eyes and gave Cinder a cheeky grin.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life is all." Cinder's eyes darted away from her as a blush overtook her face, another rarity and an impossibility when around others. Yang felt her chest swell with pride and her affection surged. Then the nagging thought of reality returned and she grimaced. She didn't want the moment to end but unfortunately there was no rest for the wicked.

"Don't you need to check in?" Yang asked as she closed her eyes fully again, trying to keep the bitter disappointment out of her voice.

"Neo and Ruby offered to watch over the organization for a few days. There are no pressing issues at the moment and the other families know better than to cross the _Ripper,"_ A smile curved across the dark haired woman's lips at the Neo's own well-earned title. "Besides it is rare that I get to spend a few days alone with my spouse. and I think we could both use the break,no?" Another kiss this time on the tip of Yang's nose, which caused the brawler to blink open her eyes to stare into the adoring ones of her wife. Yang's eyes were wide with surprise and she couldn't help but smile.

"I love you Cinder, you know that?" This caused a smile to spread across Cinder's face, not a smirk or one of her half smiles, but a full beaming smile that was reserved for Yang and Yang alone.

'And I You, Yang. My light." She kissed the tip of the brawler's nose again. "My love." The next kiss was pressed firmly to Yang's cheek causing her to giggle. Cinder paused when she was scant centimeters away from Yang's lips. "My life." Then she closed the distance and ever so gently pressed her lips to Yang's. This kiss was missing the heat of their earlier embraces but the warmth and love that poured from both of them made it all the more meaningful. Pulling away, Cinder caressed Yang's cheek again.

They both knew that someday this would come to an end. Eventually one, or both, of them would be killed. Whether it was by the authorities in a shootout, or by a rival gang, or even a traitor in their own organization it honestly didn't matter. That It was an eventuality of the life they led. Outside the law and on top of the criminal underworld they had made themselves a pair of the biggest targets in Vale. It was something that they both had tried to prepare for. Though deep down they both knew that when the time came, one would not live without the other.

"Now, I think my little sun dragon deserves a nice hot bath." Yang perked up and couldn't stop herself from bouncing a little in her position which caused another light hearted laugh to spill form Cinder's lips. The sound echoing off the walls of the home they had made together.


End file.
